This chapter, referred to in introductory clause, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 94–163, Dec. 22, 1975, 89 Stat. 871, known as the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out below and Tables.

Par. (3). Pub. L. 106–469, § 102(2), struck out par. (3) which read as follows: “to increase the supply of fossil fuels in the United States, through price incentives and production requirements;”.

Par. (6). Pub. L. 106–469, § 102(2), struck out par. (6) which read as follows: “to reduce the demand for petroleum products and natural gas through programs designed to provide greater availability and use of this Nation’s abundant coal resources;”.

Pub. L. 113–79, title XII, § 12401,Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 997, provided that: “This subtitle [subtitle D (§§ 12401–12410) of title XII of Pub. L. 113–79, amending provisions set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the ‘Oilheat Efficiency, Renewable Fuel Research and Jobs Training Act of 2014’.”

Pub. L. 103–406, § 1,Oct. 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 4209, provided: “That this Act [amending sections
6251 and
6285 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note below] may be cited as the ‘Energy Policy and Conservation Act Amendments Act of 1994’.”

Pub. L. 101–383, § 1,Sept. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 727, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections
6249 to
6249c of this title, amending sections
6202,
6232,
6239 to
6241,
6247,
6251, and
6285 of this title, and amending provisions set out as a note under section
2071 of Title
50, Appendix, War and National Defense] may be referred to as the ‘Energy Policy and Conservation Act Amendments of 1990’.”

Pub. L. 101–360, § 1,Aug. 10, 1990, 104 Stat. 421, provided: “That this Act [amending sections
6251 and
6285 of this title and provisions set out as a note under section
2071 of Title
50, Appendix, War and National Defense] may be referred to as the ‘Energy Policy and Conservation Act Short-Term Extension Amendment of 1990’.”

Pub. L. 101–262, § 1,Mar. 31, 1990, 104 Stat. 124, provided: “That this Act [amending sections
6251 and
6285 of this title and provisions set out as a note under section
2071 of Title
50, Appendix, War and National Defense] may be referred to as the ‘Energy Policy and Conservation Act Extension Amendment of 1990’.”

Short Title of 1988 Amendment

Pub. L. 100–494, § 1,Oct. 14, 1988, 102 Stat. 2441, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections
6374 to
6374d of this title and section
2013 of Title
15, Commerce and Trade, amending sections
2001,
2002, and
2006 of Title
15, and enacting provisions set out as notes under section
6374 of this title and sections
2006,
2013, and
2512 of Title
15] may be cited as the ‘Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988’.”

Pub. L. 99–58, § 1,July 2, 1985, 99 Stat. 102, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections
6251,
6264,
6285, and
7277 of this title, amending sections
6239,
6240,
6241,
6247, and
6272 of this title, repealing section
6401 of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under section
7277 of this title, and amending provisions set out as a note under section
2071 of Title
50, Appendix, War and National Defense] may be cited as the ‘Energy and Conservation Amendments Act of 1985’.”

Short Title of 1984 Amendment

Pub. L. 98–370, § 1,July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 1211, provided: “That this Act [enacting section
6276 of this title and a provision set out as a note under section
627] may be cited as the ‘Renewable Energy Industry Development Act of 1983’.”

Short Title of 1982 Amendment

Pub. L. 97–229, § 1,Aug. 3, 1982, 96 Stat. 248, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections
6281,
6282, and
6385 of this title, amending sections
6239,
6240,
6247,
6271, and
6272 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections
6234,
6240, and
6245 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Energy Emergency Preparedness Act of 1982’.”

Short Title of 1981 Amendment

Pub. L. 97–35, title X, § 1031,Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 618, provided that: “This subtitle [subtitle C (§§ 1031–1038) of title X of Pub. L. 97–35, enacting section
6247 of this title, amending sections
6240,
6245, and
6246 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections
6231,
6240, and
6247 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Strategic Petroleum Reserve Amendments Act of 1981’.”

Short Title

Pub. L. 94–163, § 1,Dec. 22, 1975, 89 Stat. 871, provided in part: “That this Act [enacting this chapter and sections
757 to
760h and
2001 to
2012 of Title
15, Commerce and Trade, amending sections
753,
754,
755,
792,
796, and
1901 of Title
15 and section 2071 of the Appendix to Title 50, War and National Defense, enacting provisions set out as notes under this section, sections
753 and
796 of Title
15, and section
2071 of Title
50a, and repealing provisions formerly set out as a note under section
1904 of Title
12, Banks and Banking] may be cited as the ‘Energy Policy and Conservation Act’.”

“(1) oilheat fuel is an important commodity relied on by approximately 30,000,000 Americans as an efficient and economical energy source for commercial and residential space and hot water heating;

“(2) oilheat fuel equipment operates at efficiencies among the highest of any space heating energy source, reducing fuel costs and making oilheat fuel an economical means of space heating;

“(3) the production, distribution, and marketing of oilheat fuel and oilheat fuel equipment plays a significant role in the economy of the United States, accounting for approximately $12,900,000,000 in expenditures annually and employing millions of Americans in all aspects of the oilheat fuel industry;

“(4) only very limited Federal resources have been made available for oilheat fuel research, development, safety, training, and education efforts, to the detriment of both the oilheat fuel industry and its 30,000,000 consumers;

“(5) the cooperative development, self-financing, and implementation of a coordinated national oilheat fuel industry program of research and development, training, and consumer education is necessary and important for the welfare of the oilheat fuel industry, the general economy of the United States, and the millions of Americans that rely on oilheat fuel for commercial and residential space and hot water heating;

“(6) consumers of oilheat fuel fuel [sic] are provided service by thousands of small businesses that are unable to individually develop training programs to facilitate the entry of new and qualified workers into the oilheat fuel fuel [sic] industry;

“(7) small businesses and trained employees are in an ideal position—

“(A) to provide information to consumers about the benefits of improved efficiency; and

“(B) to encourage consumers to value efficiency in energy choices and assist individuals in conserving energy;

“(8) additional research is necessary—

“(A) to improve oilheat fuel fuel [sic] equipment; and

“(B) to develop domestic renewable resources that can be used to safely and affordably heat homes;

“(9) since there are no Federal resources available to assist the oilheat fuel fuel [sic] industry, it is necessary and appropriate to develop a self-funded program dedicated—

“(A) to improving efficiency in customer homes;

“(B) to assist individuals to gain employment in the oilheat fuel fuel [sic] industry; and

“(C) to develop domestic renewable resources;

“(10) both consumers of oilheat fuel fuel [sic] and retailers would benefit from the self-funded program; and

“(11) the oilheat fuel fuel [sic] industry is committed to providing appropriate funding necessary to carry out the purposes of this title without passing additional costs on to residential consumers.

“(1) Alliance.—The term ‘Alliance’ means a national oilheat fuel research alliance established under section
704.

“(2) Consumer education.—The term ‘consumer education’ means the provision of information to assist consumers and other persons in making evaluations and decisions regarding oilheat fuel and other nonindustrial commercial or residential space or hot water heating fuels.

“(3) Cost-effective.—The term ‘cost-effective’, with respect to a program or activity carried out under section
707(f)(4), means that the program or activity meets a total resource cost test under which—

“(A) the net present value of economic benefits over the life of the program or activity, including avoided supply and delivery costs and deferred or avoided investments; is greater than

“(B) the net present value of the economic costs over the life of the program or activity, including program costs and incremental costs borne by the energy consumer.

“(4) Exchange.—The term ‘exchange’ means an agreement that—

“(A) entitles each party or its customers to receive oilheat fuel from the other party; and

“(B) requires only an insubstantial portion of the volumes involved in the exchange to be settled in cash or property other than the oilheat fuel.

“(5) Industry trade association.—The term ‘industry trade association’ means an organization described in paragraph (3) or (6) of section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3), (6)] that is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code and is organized for the purpose of representing the oilheat fuel industry.

“(7) No. 2 dyed distillate.—The term ‘No. 2 dyed distillate’ means fuel oil classified as No. 2 distillate by the American Society for Testing and Materials that is indelibly dyed in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury under section 4082(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [26 U.S.C. 4082(a)(2)].

“(B) is used as a fuel for nonindustrial commercial or residential space or hot water heating.

“(9) Oilheat fuel industry.—

“(A) In general.—The term ‘oilheat fuel industry’ means—

“(i) persons in the production, transportation, or sale of oilheat fuel; and
“(ii) persons engaged in the manufacture or distribution of oilheat fuel utilization equipment.

“(B) Exclusion.—The term ‘oilheat fuel industry’ does not include ultimate consumers of oilheat fuel.

“(10) Public member.—The term ‘public member’ means a member of the Alliance described in section
705(c)(1)(F).

“(11) Qualified industry organization.—The term ‘qualified industry organization’ means the National Association for Oilheat Research and Education or a successor organization.

“(12) Qualified state association.—The term ‘qualified State association’ means the industry trade association or other organization that the qualified industry organization or the Alliance determines best represents retail marketers in a State.

“(13) Retail marketer.—The term ‘retail marketer’ means a person engaged primarily in the sale of oilheat fuel to ultimate consumers.

“(1) In general.—The oilheat fuel industry, through the qualified industry organization, may conduct, at its own expense, a referendum among retail marketers and wholesale distributors for the establishment of a national oilheat fuel research alliance.

“(2) Reimbursement of cost.—The Alliance, if established, shall reimburse the qualified industry organization for the cost of accounting and documentation for the referendum.

“(A) Retail marketers.—Voting rights of retail marketers in a referendum under paragraph (1) shall be based on the volume of oilheat fuel sold in a State by each retail marketer in the calendar year previous to the year in which the referendum is conducted or in another representative period.

“(B) Wholesale distributors.—Voting rights of wholesale distributors in a referendum under paragraph (1) shall be based on the volume of No. 1 distillate and No. 2 dyed distillate sold in a State by each wholesale distributor in the calendar year previous to the year in which the referendum is conducted or in another representative period, weighted by the ratio of the total volume of No. 1 distillate and No. 2 dyed distillate sold for nonindustrial commercial and residential space and hot water heating in the State to the total volume of No. 1 distillate and No. 2 dyed distillate sold in that State.

“(5) Establishment by approval of two-thirds.—

“(A) In general.—Subject to subparagraph (B), on approval of persons representing two-thirds of the total volume of oilheat fuel voted in the retail marketer class and two-thirds of the total weighted volume of No. 1 distillate and No. 2 dyed distillate voted in the wholesale distributor class, the Alliance shall be established and shall be authorized to levy assessments under section
707.

“(B) Requirement of majority of retail marketers.—Except as provided in subsection (b), the oilheat fuel industry in a State shall not participate in the Alliance if less than 50 percent of the retail marketer vote in the State approves establishment of the Alliance.

“(6) Certification of volumes.—Each person voting in the referendum shall certify to the independent auditing firm the volume of oilheat fuel, No. 1 distillate, or No. 2 dyed distillate represented by the vote of the person.

“(7) Notification.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this title [Nov. 9, 2000], a qualified State association may notify the qualified industry organization in writing that a referendum under paragraph (1) will not be conducted in the State.

“(b) Subsequent State Participation.—The oilheat fuel industry in a State that has not participated initially in the Alliance may subsequently elect to participate by conducting a referendum under subsection (a).

“(c) Termination or Suspension.—

“(1) In general.—On the initiative of the Alliance or on petition to the Alliance by retail marketers and wholesale distributors representing 25 percent of the volume of oilheat fuel or weighted No. 1 distillate and No. 2 dyed distillate in each class, the Alliance shall, at its own expense, hold a referendum, to be conducted by an independent auditing firm selected by the Alliance, to determine whether the oilheat fuel industry favors termination or suspension of the Alliance.

“(2) Volume percentages required to terminate or suspend.—Termination or suspension shall not take effect unless termination or suspension is approved by persons representing more than one-half of the total volume of oilheat fuel voted in the retail marketer class or more than one-half of the total volume of weighted No. 1 distillate and No. 2 dyed distillate voted in the wholesale distributor class.

“(3) Termination by a state.—A State may elect to terminate participation by notifying the Alliance that 50 percent of the oilheat fuel volume in the State has voted in a referendum to withdraw.

“(d) Calculation of Oilheat Fuel Sales.—For the purposes of this section and section
705, the volume of oilheat fuel sold annually in a State shall be determined on the basis of information provided by the Energy Information Administration with respect to a calendar year or other representative period.

“(A) In general.—The Alliance shall provide to the Secretary a list of qualified nominees for membership in the Alliance.

“(B) Requirement.—Except as provided in subsection (c)(1)(C), members of the Alliance shall be representatives of the oilheat fuel industry in a State, selected from a list of nominees submitted by the qualified State association in the State.

“(2) Vacancies.—A vacancy in the Alliance shall be filled in the same manner as the original selection.

“(3) Secretarial action.—

“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall have 60 days to review nominees provided under paragraph (1).

“(B) Failure to act.—If the Secretary takes no action during the 60-day period described in subparagraph (A), the nominees shall be considered to be members of the Alliance.

“(b) Representation.—In selecting members of the Alliance, the Alliance shall make best efforts to select members that are representative of the oilheat fuel industry, including representation of—

“(3) large and small companies among wholesale distributors and retail marketers; and

“(4) diverse geographic regions of the country.

“(c) Number of Members.—

“(1) In general.—The Alliance shall be composed of the following members:

“(A) 1 member representing each State participating in the Alliance.

“(B) 5 representatives of retail marketers, of whom 1 shall be selected by each of the qualified State associations of the 5 States with the highest volume of annual oilheat fuel sales.

“(C) 5 additional representatives of retail marketers.

“(D) 21 representatives of wholesale distributors.

“(E) 6 public members, who shall be representatives of significant users of oilheat fuel, the oilheat fuel research community, State energy officials, or other groups with expertise in oilheat fuel, including consumer and low-income advocacy groups.

“(2) Full-time owners or employees.—Other than the public members, Alliance members shall be full-time owners or employees of members of the oilheat fuel industry, except that members described in subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E) of paragraph (1) may be employees of an industry trade association.

“(d) Compensation.—Alliance members shall receive no compensation for their service, nor shall Alliance members be reimbursed for expenses relating to their service, except that public members, on request, may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses directly related to participation in meetings of the Alliance.

“(e) Terms.—

“(1) In general.—Subject to paragraph (4), a member of the Alliance shall serve a term of 3 years, except that a member filling an unexpired term may serve a total of 7 consecutive years.

“(2) Term limit.—A member may serve not more than two full consecutive terms.

“(3) Former members.—A former member of the Alliance may be returned to the Alliance if the member has not been a member for a period of 2 years.

“(4) Initial appointments.—Initial appointments to the Alliance shall be for terms of 1, 2, and 3 years, as determined by the qualified industry organization, staggered to provide for the subsequent selection of one-third of the members each year.

“(A) shall develop programs and projects and enter into contracts or other agreements with other persons and entities for implementing this title, including programs—

“(i) to enhance consumer and employee safety and training;

“(ii) to provide for research, development, and demonstration of clean and efficient oilheat fuel utilization equipment; and

“(iii) for consumer education; and

“(B) may provide for the payment of the costs of carrying out subparagraph (A) with assessments collected under section
707.

“(2) Coordination.—The Alliance shall coordinate its activities with industry trade associations and other persons as appropriate to provide efficient delivery of services and to avoid unnecessary duplication of activities.

“(3) Activities.—

“(A) Exclusions.—Activities under clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (1)(A) shall not include advertising, promotions, or consumer surveys in support of advertising or promotions.

“(I) all activities incidental to research, development, and demonstration of clean and efficient oilheat fuel utilization equipment, including research to develop renewable fuels and to examine the compatibility of different renewable fuels with oilheat fuel utilization equipment, with priority given to research on the development and use of advanced biofuels; and
“(II) the obtaining of patents, including payment of attorney’s fees for making and perfecting a patent application.

“(ii) Excluded activities.—Research, development, and demonstration activities under paragraph (1)(A)(ii) shall not include research, development, and demonstration of oilheat fuel utilization equipment with respect to which technically feasible and commercially feasible operations have been verified, except that funds may be provided for improvements to existing equipment until the technical feasibility and commercial feasibility of the operation of those improvements have been verified.

“(b) Priorities.—In the development of programs and projects, the Alliance shall give priority to issues relating to—

“(1) research, development, and demonstration;

“(2) safety;

“(3) consumer education; and

“(4) training.

“(c) Administration.—

“(1) Officers; committees; bylaws.—The Alliance—

“(A) shall select from among its members a chairperson and other officers as necessary;

“(B) may establish and authorize committees and subcommittees of the Alliance to take specific actions that the Alliance is authorized to take; and

“(C) shall adopt bylaws for the conduct of business and the implementation of this title.

“(2) Solicitation of oilheat fuel industry comment and recommendations.—The Alliance shall establish procedures for the solicitation of oilheat fuel industry comment and recommendations on any significant contracts and other agreements, programs, and projects to be funded by the Alliance.

“(4) Voting.—Each member of the Alliance shall have one vote in matters before the Alliance.

“(d) Administrative Expenses.—

“(1) In general.—The administrative expenses of operating the Alliance (not including costs incurred in the collection of assessments under section
707) plus amounts paid under paragraph (2) shall not exceed 7 percent of the amount of assessments collected in any calendar year, except that during the first year of operation of the Alliance such expenses and amounts shall not exceed 10 percent of the amount of assessments.

“(2) Reimbursement of the secretary.—

“(A) In general.—The Alliance shall annually reimburse the Secretary for costs incurred by the Federal Government relating to the Alliance.

“(B) Limitation.—Reimbursement under subparagraph (A) for any calendar year shall not exceed the amount that the Secretary determines is twice the average annual salary of one employee of the Department of Energy.

“(e) Budget.—

“(1) Publication of proposed budget.—Not later than August 1, 2014, and every 2 years thereafter, the Alliance shall, in consultation with the Secretary, develop and publish for public review and comment a proposed biennial budget for the next 2 calendar years, including the probable operating and planning costs of all programs, projects, and contracts and other agreements.

“(2) Submission to the secretary and congress.—After review and comment under paragraph (1), the Alliance shall submit the proposed budget to the Secretary and Congress.

“(3) Recommendations by the secretary.—The Secretary may recommend for inclusion in the budget programs and activities that the Secretary considers appropriate.

“(4) Implementation.—

“(A) In general.—The Alliance shall not implement a proposed budget until the expiration of 60 days after submitting the proposed budget to the Secretary.

“(B) Recommendations for changes by secretary.—

“(i) In general.—The Secretary may recommend to the Alliance changes to the budget programs and activities of the Alliance that the Secretary considers appropriate.

“(ii) Response by alliance.—Not later than 30 days after the receipt of any recommendations made under clause (i), the Alliance shall submit to the Secretary a final budget for the next 2 calendar years that incorporates or includes a description of the response of the Alliance to any changes recommended under clause (i).

“(f) Records; Audits.—

“(1) Records.—The Alliance shall—

“(A) keep records that clearly reflect all of the acts and transactions of the Alliance; and

“(B) make the records available to the public.

“(2) Audits.—

“(A) In general.—The records of the Alliance (including fee assessment reports and applications for refunds under section
707(b)(4)) shall be audited by a certified public accountant at least once each year and at such other times as the Alliance may designate.

“(B) Availability of audit reports.—Copies of each audit report shall be provided to the Secretary, the members of the Alliance, and the qualified industry organization, and, on request, to other members of the oilheat fuel industry.

“(C) Policies and procedures.—

“(i) In general.—The Alliance shall establish policies and procedures for auditing compliance with this title.

“(1) Collection at point of sale.—The assessment shall be collected at the point of sale of No. 1 distillate and No. 2 dyed distillate by a wholesale distributor to a person other than a wholesale distributor, including a sale made pursuant to an exchange.

“(2) Responsibility for payment.—A wholesale distributor—

“(A) shall be responsible for payment of an assessment to the Alliance on a quarterly basis; and

“(B) shall provide to the Alliance certification of the volume of fuel sold.

“(3) No ownership interest.—A person that has no ownership interest in No. 1 distillate or No. 2 dyed distillate shall not be responsible for payment of an assessment under this section.

“(4) Failure to receive payment.—

“(A) Refund.—A wholesale distributor that does not receive payments from a purchaser for No. 1 distillate or No. 2 dyed distillate within 1 year of the date of sale may apply for a refund from the Alliance of the assessment paid.

“(B) Amount.—The amount of a refund shall not exceed the amount of the assessment levied on the No. 1 distillate or No. 2 dyed distillate for which payment was not received.

“(5) Importation after point of sale.—The owner of No. 1 distillate or No. 2 dyed distillate imported after the point of sale—

“(A) shall be responsible for payment of the assessment to the Alliance at the point at which the product enters the United States; and

“(B) shall provide to the Alliance certification of the volume of fuel imported.

“(6) Late payment charge.—The Alliance may establish a late payment charge and rate of interest to be imposed on any person who fails to remit or pay to the Alliance any amount due under this title.

“(7) Alternative collection rules.—The Alliance may establish, or approve a request of the oilheat fuel industry in a State for, an alternative means of collecting the assessment if another means is determined to be more efficient or more effective.

“(8) Prohibition on pass through.—None of the assessments collected under this title may be passed through or otherwise required to be paid by residential consumers of oilheat fuel.

“(c) Sale for Use Other Than as Oilheat Fuel.—No. 1 distillate and No. 2 dyed distillate sold for uses other than as oilheat fuel are excluded from the assessment.

“(d) Investment of Funds.—Pending disbursement under a program, project or contract or other agreement the Alliance may invest funds collected through assessments, and any other funds received by the Alliance, only–

“(1) in obligations of the United States or any agency of the United States;

“(2) in general obligations of any State or any political subdivision of a State;

“(3) in any interest-bearing account or certificate of deposit of a bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System; or

“(4) in obligations fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States.

“(e) State, Local, and Regional Programs.—

“(1) Coordination.—The Alliance shall establish a program coordinating the operation of the Alliance with the operator of any similar State, local, or regional program created under State law (including a regulation), or similar entity.

“(2) Funds made available to qualified state associations.—

“(A) In general.—

“(i) Base amount.—The Alliance shall make available to the qualified State association of each State an amount equal to 15 percent of the amount of assessments collected in the State.

“(ii) Additional amount.—

“(I) In general.—A qualified State association may request that the Alliance provide to the association any portion of the remaining 85 percent of the amount of assessments collected in the State.
“(II) Request requirements.—A request under this clause shall—
“(aa) specify the amount of funds requested;
“(bb) describe in detail the specific uses for which the requested funds are sought;
“(cc) include a commitment to comply with this title in using the requested funds; and
“(dd) be made publicly available.
“(III) Direct benefit.—The Alliance shall not provide any funds in response to a request under this clause unless the Alliance determines that the funds will be used to directly benefit the oilheat fuel industry.
“(IV) Monitoring; terms, conditions, and reporting requirements.—The Alliance shall—
“(aa) monitor the use of funds provided under this clause; and
“(bb) impose whatever terms, conditions, and reporting requirements that the Alliance considers necessary to ensure compliance with this title.

“(B) Separate accounts.—As a condition of receipt of funds made available to a qualified State association under this title, the qualified State association shall deposit the funds in an account that is separate from other funds of the qualified State association.

“(f) Use of Assessments.—

“(1) In general.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the Secretary and the Alliance shall ensure that assessments collected for each calendar year under this title are allocated and used in accordance with this subsection.

“(2) Research, development, and demonstration.—

“(A) In general.—The Alliance shall ensure that not less than 30 percent of the assessments collected for each calendar year under this title are used by qualified State associations or the Alliance to conduct research, development, and demonstration activities relating to oilheat fuel, including the development of energy-efficient heating and the transition and facilitation of the entry of energy efficient heating systems into the marketplace.

“(B) Coordination.—The Alliance shall coordinate with the Secretary to develop priorities for the use of assessments under this paragraph.

“(C) Plan.—The Alliance shall develop a coordinated research plan to carry out research programs and activities under this section.

“(D) Report.—

“(i) In general.—No later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this subsection [Feb. 7, 2014], the Alliance shall prepare a report on the use of biofuels in oilheat fuel utilization equipment.

“(ii) Contents.—The report required under clause (i) shall—

“(I) provide information on the environmental benefits, economic benefits, and any technical limitations on the use of biofuels in oilheat fuel utilization equipment; and
“(II) describe market acceptance of the fuel, and information on State and local governments that are encouraging the use of biofuels in oilheat fuel utilization equipment.

“(I) Congress;
“(II) the Governor of each State, and other appropriate State leaders, in which the Alliance is operating; and
“(III) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

“(E) Consumer education materials.—The Alliance, in conjunction with an institution or organization engaged in biofuels research, shall develop consumer education materials describing the benefits of using biofuels as or in oilheat fuel based on the technical information developed in the report required under subparagraph (D) and other information generally available.

“(3) Cost sharing.—

“(A) In general.—In carrying out a research, development, demonstration, or commercial application program or activity that is commenced after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Alliance shall require cost-sharing in accordance with this section.

“(B) Research and development.—

“(i) In general.—Except as provided in clauses (ii) and (iii), the Alliance shall require that not less than 20 percent of the cost of a research or development program or activity described in subparagraph (A) to be provided by a source other than the Alliance.

“(ii) Exclusion.—Clause (i) shall not apply to a research or development program or activity described in subparagraph (A) that is of a basic or fundamental nature, as determined by the Alliance.

“(iii) Reduction.—The Alliance may reduce or eliminate the requirement of clause (i) for a research and development program or activity of an applied nature if the Alliance determines that the reduction is necessary and appropriate.

“(C) Demonstration and commercial application.—The Alliance shall require that not less than 50 percent of the cost of a demonstration or commercial application program or activity described in subparagraph (A) to be provided by a source other than the Alliance.

“(4) Heating oil efficiency and upgrade program.—

“(A) In general.—The Alliance shall ensure that not less than 15 percent of the assessments collected for each calendar year under this title are used by qualified State associations or the Alliance to carry out programs to assist consumers—

“(i) to make cost-effective upgrades to more fuel efficient heating oil systems or otherwise make cost-effective modifications to an existing heating system to improve the efficiency of the system;

“(B) Plan.—The Alliance shall, to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate, develop, and implement the programs and activities of the Alliance in conjunction with existing State energy efficiency program administrators.

“(C) Administration.—

“(i) In general.—In carrying out this paragraph, the Alliance shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure that heating system conversion assistance is coordinated with, and developed after consultation with, persons or organizations responsible for administering—

“(I) the low-income home energy assistance program established under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 8621 et seq.);
“(II) the Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons established under part A of title IV of the Energy Conservation and Production Act (42 U.S.C. 6861 et seq.); or
“(III) other energy efficiency programs administered by the State or other parties in the State.

“(ii) Distribution of funds.—The Alliance shall ensure that funds distributed to carry out this paragraph are—

“(I) distributed equitably to States based on the proportional contributions of the States through collected assessments;
“(II) used to supplement (and not supplant) State or alternative sources of funding for energy efficiency programs; and
“(III) used only to carry out this paragraph.

“(5) Consumer education, safety, and training.—The Alliance shall ensure that not more than 30 percent of the assessments collected for each calendar year under this title are used—

“(D) to the maximum extent practicable, a data collection process established, in collaboration with the Secretary or other appropriate Federal agencies, to track equipment, service, and related safety issues and to develop measures to improve safety.

“(6) Administrative costs.—

“(A) In general.—The Alliance shall ensure that not more than 5 percent of the assessments collected for each calendar year under this title are used for—

“(B) Administration.—Activities under this section shall be documented pursuant to a transparent process and procedures developed in coordination with the Secretary.

“(7) Reports.—

“(A) Annual reports.—

“(i) In general.—Each qualified State association or the Alliance shall prepare an annual report describing he development and administration of this section, and yearly expenditures under this section.

“(ii) Contents.—Each report required under clause (i) shall include a description of the use of proceeds under this section, including a description of—

“(I) advancements made in energy-efficient heating systems and biofuel heating oil blends; and
“(II) heating system upgrades and modifications and energy efficiency programs funded under this section.

“(iii) Verification.—

“(I) In general.—The Alliance shall ensure that an independent third-party reviews each report described in clause (i) and verifies the accuracy of the report.
“(II) Councils.—If a State has a stakeholder efficiency oversight council, the council shall be the entity that reviews and verifies the report of the State association or Alliance for the State under clause (i).

“(B) Reports on heating oil efficiency and upgrade program.—At least once every 3 years, the Alliance shall prepare a detailed report describing the consumer savings, cost-effectiveness of, and the lifetime and annual energy savings achieved by heating system upgrades and modifications and energy efficiency programs funded under paragraph (4).

“(C) Availability.—Each report, and any subsequent changes to the report, described in this paragraph shall be made publically available, with notice of availability provided to the Secretary, and posted on the website of the Alliance.

“(a) In General.—No funds derived from assessments under section
707 collected by the Alliance shall be used to influence legislation or elections or to lobby, except that the Alliance may use such funds to formulate and submit to the Secretary recommendations for amendments to this title or other laws that would further the purposes of this title.

“(b) Assessments.—

“(1) In general.—Subject to paragraph (2), no funds derived from assessments collected by the Alliance under section
707 shall be used, directly or indirectly, to influence Federal, State, or local legislation or elections, or the manner of administering of a law.

“(2) Information.—The Alliance may use funds described in paragraph (1) to provide information requested by a Member of Congress, or an official of any Federal, State, or local agency, in the course of the official business of the Member or official.

“(a) Prohibition.—It shall be unlawful for any person to conduct a consumer education activity, undertaken with funds derived from assessments collected by the Alliance under section
707, that includes—

“(1) a reference to a private brand name;

“(2) a false or unwarranted claim on behalf of oilheat fuel or related products; or

“(3) a reference with respect to the attributes or use of any competing product.

“(b) Complaints.—

“(1) In general.—A public utility that is aggrieved by a violation described in subsection (a) may file a complaint with the Alliance.

“(2) Transmittal to qualified state association.—A complaint shall be transmitted concurrently to any qualified State association undertaking the consumer education activity with respect to which the complaint is made.

“(3) Cessation of activities.—On receipt of a complaint under this subsection, the Alliance, and any qualified State association undertaking the consumer education activity with respect to which the complaint is made, shall cease that consumer education activity until—

“(A) the complaint is withdrawn; or

“(B) a court determines that the conduct of the activity complained of does not constitute a violation of subsection (a).

“(c) Resolution by Parties.—

“(1) In general.—Not later than 10 days after a complaint is filed and transmitted under subsection (b), the complaining party, the Alliance, and any qualified State association undertaking the consumer education activity with respect to which the complaint is made shall meet to attempt to resolve the complaint.

“(2) Withdrawal of complaint.—If the issues in dispute are resolved in those discussions, the complaining party shall withdraw its complaint.

“(d) Judicial Review.—

“(1) In general.—A public utility filing a complaint under this section, the Alliance, a qualified State association undertaking the consumer education activity with respect to which a complaint under this section is made, or any person aggrieved by a violation of subsection (a) may seek appropriate relief in United States district court.

“(2) Relief.—A public utility filing a complaint under this section shall be entitled to temporary and injunctive relief enjoining the consumer education activity with respect to which a complaint under this section is made until—

“(A) the complaint is withdrawn; or

“(B) the court has determined that the consumer education activity complained of does not constitute a violation of subsection (a).

“(e) Attorney’s Fees.—

“(1) Meritorious case.—In a case in Federal court in which the court grants a public utility injunctive relief under subsection (d), the public utility shall be entitled to recover an attorney’s fee from the Alliance and any qualified State association undertaking the consumer education activity with respect to which a complaint under this section is made.

“(2) Nonmeritorious case.—In any case under subsection (d) in which the court determines a complaint under subsection (b) to be frivolous and without merit, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover an attorney’s fee.

“(f) Savings Clause.—Nothing in this section shall limit causes of action brought under any other law.

“(g) Noncompliance.—If the Alliance, a qualified State association, or any other entity or person violates this title, the Secretary shall—

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes of the United States of America, including the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (Public Law 94–163, 89 Stat. 8, 42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act, as amended (15 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (50 App. U.S.C. 2061 et seq.), and section
301 of Title
3 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. (a) The Administrator of General Services is designated and empowered to perform without approval, ratification, or other action by the President, the functions vested in the President by Section 510 of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act, as amended (89 Stat. 915, 15 U.S.C. 2010). The Administrator shall exercise that authority to ensure that passenger automobiles acquired by all Executive agencies in each fiscal year achieve a fleet average fuel economy standard that is not less than the average fuel economy standard for automobiles manufactured for the model year which includes January 1 of each fiscal year.

(b) The Administrator of General Services shall also promulgate rules which will ensure that each class of nonpassenger automobiles acquired by all Executive agencies in each fiscal year achieves a fleet average fuel economy that is not less than the average fuel economy standard for uch class, established pursuant to Section 502(b) of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act, as amended (89 Stat. 903, 15 U.S.C. 2002(b)), for the model year which includes January 1 of such fiscal year. Such rules shall not apply to nonpassenger automobiles intended for use in combat-related missions for the Armed Forces or intended for use in law enforcement work or emergency rescue work. The Administrator may provide for granting exceptions for individual nonpassenger automobiles or categories of nonpassenger automobiles as he determines to be appropriate in terms of energy conservation, economy, efficiency, or service.

(c) In performing these functions, the Administrator of General Services shall consult with the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Energy.

Sec. 2. The Secretary of Commerce is designated and empowered to perform without approval, ratification, or other action by the President, the functions vested in the President by section 103 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (89 Stat. 877, 42 U.S.C. 6212). In performing each of these functions, the Secretary of Commerce shall consult with appropriate Executive agencies, as set forth in the provisions of section 5(a) of the Export Administration Act of 1969, as amended (50 App. U.S.C. 2404(a)).

Sec. 3. The Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, in the exercise of his statutory responsibility to provide overall direction of procurement policy (41 U.S.C. 405), shall, after consultation with the heads of appropriate agencies, including those responsible for developing energy conservation and efficiency standards, and to the extent he considers appropriate and with due regard to the program activities of the Executive agencies, provide policy guidance governing the application of energy conservation and efficiency standards in the Federal procurement process in accord with section 381(a)(1) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (89 Stat. 939, 42 U.S.C. 6361(a)(1)).

Sec. 4. (a) The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the heads of appropriate agencies, is hereby authorized and directed to develop for the President’s consideration, in accord with section 201 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (89 Stat. 890, 42 U.S.C. 6261), the energy conservation and rationing contingency plans prescribed under sections 202 and 203 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (89 Stat. 892, 42 U.S.C. 6262 and 6263).

(b) The Secretary of Energy shall prepare, with the assistance of the heads of appropriate agencies, for the President’s consideration, the annual reports provided by section 381(c) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (89 Stat. 939, 42 U.S.C. 6361(c)).

Sec. 5. The Secretary of State is hereby delegated the authority vested in the President by Section 252(c)(1)(A)(iii) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (89 Stat. 895, 42 U.S.C. 6272(c)(1)(A)(iii)).

Sec. 6. The Secretary of Energy is designated and empowered to perform without approval, ratification, or other action by the President, the functions vested in the President by:

(a) Section 251 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (89 Stat. 894, 42 U.S.C. 6271), except the making of the findings provided by subparagraph (b)(1)(B) thereof; however, in performing these functions, the Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of Commerce with respect to the international allocation of petroleum products which are within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States; and provided that the Secretary of Commerce shall promulgate rules, pursuant to the procedures established by the Export Administration Act of 1969, as amended [50 U.S.C. App. former 2401 et seq.], to authorize the export of petroleum and petroleum products, as may be necessary for implementation of the obligations of the United States under the International Energy Program, and in accordance with the rules promulgated under Section 251 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act by the Secretary pursuant to this subsection.

(c) Section 254(a) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (89 Stat. 899, 42 U.S.C. 6274(a)), including the receipt of petitions under section
254(a)(3)(B); provided that, the authority under section
254(a) may be exercised only after consultation with the Secretary of State;

(d) Section 254(b) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (89 Stat. 900, 42 U.S.C. 6274(b)); provided that, in determining whether the transmittal of data would prejudice competition or violate the antitrust laws, the Secretary shall consult with the Attorney General, and in determining whether the transmittal of data would be inconsistent with national security interests, he shall consult with the Secretaries of State and Defense, and the heads of such other agencies as he deems appropriate;

(e) Section 523(a)(2)(A) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (89 Stat. 962, 42 U.S.C. 6393(a)(2)(A)), but only to the extent applicable to other functions delegated or assigned by this Order to the Secretary of Energy.

Sec. 9. All orders, regulations, circulars or other directives issued and all other action taken prior to the date of this order that would be valid under the authority delegated by this Order, are hereby confirmed and ratified and shall be deemed to have been issued under this order.

Sec. 10. (a)(1) The Secretary of Energy, hereinafter referred to as the Secretary, shall develop, with the concurrence of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs, the Administrator of General Services, and the heads of such other Executive agencies as he deems appropriate, the ten-year plan for energy conservation with respect to Government buildings, as provided by section 381(a)(2) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6361(a)(2)).

(2) The goals established in subsection (b) shall apply to the following categories of Federally-owned buildings: (i) office buildings, (ii) hospitals, (iii) schools, (iv) prison facilities, (v) multi-family dwellings, (vi) storage facilities, and (vii) such other categories of buildings for which the Administrator determines the establishment of energy-efficiency performance goals is feasible.

(b) The Secretary shall establish requirements and procedures, which shall be observed by each agency unless a waiver is granted by the Secretary, designed to ensure that each agency to the maximum extent practicable aims to achieve the following goals:

(1) For the total of all Federally-owned existing buildings the goal shall be a reduction of 20 percent in the average annual energy use per gross square foot of floor area in 1985 from the average energy use per gross square foot of floor area in 1975. This goal shall apply to all buildings for which construction was or design specifications were completed prior to the date of promulgation of the guidelines pursuant to subsection (d) of this Section.

(2) For the total of all Federally-owned new buildings the goal shall be a reduction of 45 percent in the average annual energy requirement per gross square foot of floor area in 1985 from the average annual energy use per gross square foot of floor area in 1975. This goal shall apply to all new buildings for which design specifications are completed after the date of promulgation of the guidelines pursuant to subsection (d) of this Section.

(c) The Secretary with the concurrence of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the heads of the Executive agencies specified in subsection (a) and the Director of the National Bureau of Standards, shall establish, for purposes of developing the ten-year plan, a practical and effective method for estimating and comparing life cycle capital and operating costs for Federal buildings, including residential, commercial, and industrial type categories. Such method shall be consistent with the Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A–94, and shall be adopted and used by all agencies in developing their plans pursuant to subsection (e), annual reports pursuant to subsection (g), and budget estimates pursuant to subsection (h). For purposes of this paragraph, the term “life cycle cost” means the total costs of owning, operating, and maintaining a building over its economic life, including its fuel and energy costs, determined on the basis of a systematic evaluation and comparison of alternative building systems. [References to National Bureau of Standards deemed to refer to National Institute of Standards and Technology pursuant to section 5115(c) ofPub. L. 100–418, set out as a Change of Name note under 15 U.S.C. 271.]

(d) Not later than November 1, 1977, the Secretary, with the concurrence of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and after consultation with the Administrator of General Services and the heads of the Executive agencies specified in subsection (a) shall issue guidelines for the plans to be submitted pursuant to subsection (e).

(e)(1) The head of each Executive agency that maintains any existing building or will maintain any new building shall submit no later than six months after the issuance of guidelines pursuant to subsection (d), to the Secretary a ten-year plan designed to the maximum extent practicable to meet the goals in subsection (b) for the total of existing or new Federal buildings. Such ten-year plans shall only consider improvements that are cost-effective consistent with the criteria established by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Circular A–94) and the method established pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section. The plan submitted shall specify appropriate energy-saving initiatives and shall estimate the expected improvements by fiscal year in terms of specific accomplishments—energy savings and cost savings—together with the estimated costs of achieving the savings.

(2) The plans submitted shall, to the maximum extent practicable, include the results of preliminary energy audits of all existing buildings with over 30,000 gross square feet of space owned and maintained by Executive agencies. Further, the second annual report submitted under subsection (g)(2) of this Section shall, to the maximum extent practicable, include the results of preliminary energy audits of all existing buildings with more than 5,000 but not more than 30,000 gross square feet of space. The purpose of such preliminary energy audits shall be to identify the type, size, energy use level and major energy using systems of existing Federal buildings.

(3) The Secretary shall evaluate agency plans relative to the guidelines established pursuant to subsection (d) for such plans and relative to the cost estimating method established pursuant to subsection (c). Plans determined to be deficient by the Secretary will be returned to the submitting agency head for revision and resubmission within 60 days.

(4) The head of any Executive agency submitting a plan, should he disagree with the Secretary’s determination with respect to that plan, may appeal to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget for resolution of the disagreement.

(f) The head of each agency submitting a plan or revised plan determined not deficient by the Secretary or, on appeal, by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall implement the plan in accord with approved budget estimates.

(g)(1) Each Executive agency shall submit to the Secretary an overall plan for conserving fuel and energy in all operations of the agency. This overall plan shall be in addition to and include any ten-year plan for energy conservation in Government buildings submitted in accord with Subsection (e).

(2) By July 1 of each year, each Executive agency shall submit a report to the Secretary on progress made toward achieving the goals established in the overall plan required by paragraph (1) of this subsection. The annual report shall include quantitative measures and accomplishment with respect to energy saving actions taken, the cost of these actions, the energy saved, the costs saved, and other benefits realized.

(3) The Secretary shall prepare a consolidated annual report on Federal government progress toward achieving the goals, including aggregate quantitative measures of accomplishment as well as suggested revisions to the ten-year plan, and submit the report to the President by August 15 of each year.

(h) Each agency required to submit a plan shall submit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget with the agency’s annual budget submission, and in accordance with procedures and requirements that the Director shall establish, estimates for implementation of the agency’s plan. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall consult with the Secretary about the agency budget estimates.

(i) Each agency shall program its proposed energy conservation improvements of buildings so as to give the highest priority to the most cost-effective projects.

(j) No agency of the Federal government may enter into a lease or a commitment to lease a building the construction of which has not commenced by the effective date of this Order unless the building will likely meet or exceed the general goal set forth in subsection (b)(2).

(k) The provisions of this Section do not apply to housing units repossessed by the Federal Government.